Sailing Through The Reach

We were sailing in a light breeze to Hurricane Sound by way of The Reach on a hot, hazy morning a few weeks ago, when we caught sight of this old International 600 making her way along behind us.

She's a charter hailing from Bar Harbor. We had pulled up alongside her in Carver's Harbor earlier that morning to ask about the cost of chartering her. At a couple of thousand a week - she was a little over our heads, but in the meantime the skipper was in need of a shackle. So Tom searched through a box of "stuff" he kept tucked aboard.

The box of "stuff" was a greatly reduced version of the original stash which had grown into an on-board tool shed over the years. I had suggested Tom clean it out at the beginning of the season - I mean how many shackles do you need anyway! You never know, he replied as he sadly discarded the larger toolbox and transferred bare necessities into a new and more compact version. While the skipper said not to worry and that his crew was ashore on a search and find mission, I couldn't help thinking that if I had not insisted Tom clean out his tool box, we probably would have had the right piece.

It was evident, as we watched this old beauty ghost along, that the skipper had found the part he needed. Tom, the gentleman that he is, held back with all of the strength he could muster and never did say, I told you so.

Sailing Through The Reach • 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $200